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| 32 weeks! |
This evening, James and I went to an Infant Massage class at the hospital. There were about 4 pregnant couples, and we all practiced on fake dolls. It was a little cheesy, but we learned some good techniques! There are sooo many positive effects from practicing infant massage. It promotes bonding with mom & dad, helps the infant to feel safe and loved when touched, and can help with gas/constipation problems. Our teacher talked about how we can start massage the day our baby is born, and continue as long as our growing child enjoys it. A full baby massage (arms & hands, legs & feet, chest, back, and head & face) takes about 30 minutes. If the baby enjoys baths, afterwards is a great time for a relaxing massage. We learned a special massage if the baby is fussy with gas or constipation, which is a great tool to have when the occasion arises!
On Thursday, I had another appointment with my doctor (at this point, we have appointments every other week!), and things continue to look really good! She was supportive of my desire to have a natural birth, but said that it's policy to induce labor (using the drug Pitocin) if the pregnancy extends beyond 42 weeks. That gives me until August 6th... hopefully Zoie isn't that late!
In other news, we get to have another ultrasound at 36 weeks! Since Zoie measured a little on the small side at the last ultrasound (which put her into the 33rd percentile, a bit below average), my doctor said it's routine to take her measurements again at 36 weeks. My doctor did mention that since I'm not even in the average 50th percentile, it's normal for my baby to be a little smaller.
Here's our girl at 32 weeks of development:
How far along are you? 32 weeks along today - only 8 more weeks to go! Only 56 days!
How big is Baby? Baby girl is now about 3.75lb, and measures about 16.7 inches long! She might be a little shorter though. She feels HUGE in my belly!
Weight Gain? After our delicious BBQ yesterday (and a 1/2lb cheddar-stuffed burger...) my weight this morning was 148.6! That means my weight gain is about 17 pounds. Whew.
Gender? Our little Zoie Elizabeth is a girl!
Maternity Clothes? All the time! And I'm finally ready for summer... I found maternity shorts! I ordered a zillion shorts from OldNavy.com, and there were two winners among the bunch (mailed the rest back). Now if only my spider-veins would go away, I would enjoy wearing them just a teenie bit more...
Sleep? Sleep has continued to be pretty good! My hips get sore from sleeping on my side, but the pillow-between-the-knees trick relieves most of the pressure. I can't wait to sleep on my back again!
Movement? Lots of movement! My doctor said right now through 36 weeks is when Zoie will be the most active during the pregnancy. I'm so curious as to what she's doing when she's flailing around in my belly - the sensations can be very weird!
Food Cravings? I was craving a really good hamburger last week, and yesterday I got my fix! James makes the most amazing burgers with sharp cheddar stuffed inside. SO GOOD! Other than that, fruit has continued to be delicious. Mangoes, strawberries, grapes, lemonade... can't get enough!
Labor Signs? Nothing that I noticed this week.
Belly Button in or out? The out-poking seems to have plateaued a bit. Hopefully it stays this way!
What I miss? Definitely missing my old body a little more. As my belly grows bigger, my abdominal muscles pull apart (my doctor said it's called diastatis). Sitting up, shifting around, and changing positions are all much more difficult! I'm starting to wonder how I'll ever push out a baby if my abs feel so weak. Perhaps I should try more ab exercises, but it's so discouraging when it feels like your muscles simply don't work.
Best moment(s) of the week? So many awesome things this week! James' sister had her baby boy on Wednesday, and he's the cutest! We can't wait to meet him. This weekend was wonderful, because James had Friday and Monday off. Friday night, we saw The Great Gatsby! Highly recommend it, we both really enjoyed it. We spent Saturday in Kansas City, doing a little shopping and exploring. I swear, the whole city smells like smoked meat! Monday, we had several of James' coworkers and our neighbors over for a good ol' American BBQ party.
What I am looking forward to? Tomorrow James has his Daddy Basics class at the hospital (we're taking a lot of baby-prep classes if you haven't noticed! Haha), so I'm looking forward to hearing about it! This weekend, we get to see some Army friends and their new baby girl as they road-trip to Colorado. Wow, next week will begin JUNE. In June, we can say (with fingers crossed) that we're having a baby next month!
Cheers,
Martha
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